When it comes to operating a vehicle, the recent increases in ‘undesirable’ driver behavior by distracted drivers are making driving a more dangerous activity. Often distractions originate from the driver's attempts to multi-task while operating a motor vehicle. For example, eating and drinking while in the motor vehicle first became popular during the rise of drive-thru restaurants in the 1950s. Cup holders have become standard in today's vehicle, evidence that such activities have become common place while operating a motor vehicle. Radios, CD-players, climate controls, televisions, DVD players, personal digital assistants (PDAs), reading and taking notes for ‘to do’ lists and meetings in activity planners, the unsafe occasional use of personal computers, as well as personal care activities such as shaving or applying makeup while driving, all are becoming more prevalent and increasing the danger to the distracted driver and the danger to others on the highway. One of the frequently discussed distracted driver issues today is the use of cellular or mobile phones while driving. Talking while on the mobile phone is not illegal in all states or in all parts of the world. Still it is documented that driving is considerably compromised during the use of the mobile phone while driving, as well as by the other multi-tasking activities outlined above. This puts other drivers at increased risk of bodily injury or death. Published statistics point to between 4,000 to 8,000 vehicle collisions directly related to multi-task driving occurring in the United States every year.
There is a need for a system to detect unsafe vehicle operation, specifically a driver following too closely behind another vehicle, and alert the operator in time to prevent an accident. Such a system could be based upon existing non-contact distance sensors and technology. Examples of applications using known vehicle distance sensor technology include short range reverse distance sensors secured to the rear of a motor vehicle and designed for use when backing a vehicle. Such sensors are adapted to sense objects, a pet or person located behind the vehicle and to alert the driver while backing or parking the vehicle before an accident or injury occurs. When the vehicle is put into reverse, the reverse distance sensor alerts the driver of the presence of objects present in the backup path of the vehicle within the limited range of the sensor.
There remains however a need for a vehicle distance measuring safety warning system and method for alerting a driver when the driver is following at too close of a distance behind another vehicle. Following too close behind another vehicle is also called ‘tailgating’ and is a major cause of vehicle accidents from fender-benders to accidents with multiple fatalities. When determining the distance to follow behind another vehicle, one must take into account the reaction time of the driver, as well as the response time of the vehicle to the application of the vehicle brakes, essentially the distance and time required to de-accelerate or completely stop the vehicle. While certain factors are not known with absolute accuracy, there are published government safety standards on recommended distances to maintain between vehicles to provide the vehicle driver the time to react to the unexpected.
Therefore, a vehicle distance measuring safety warning system that monitors the distance between a motor vehicle and the next motor vehicle in front of the driver's motor vehicle, a system which generates an alarm and activates a recording device when the distance between the two motor vehicles is less than a configured minimum distance, a system that in certain embodiments is adapted to reduce the engine throttle when the distance alarm is generated so as to increase the distance between the motor vehicles, a system that in certain embodiments is equipped to activate the vehicle braking system when the detected distance between the vehicles and the relative speed of the vehicles indicates that a crash is imminent, a system that may be overridden by the driver at any time leaving the driver in control to react in an emergency, such a vehicle distance measuring safety warning system would be useful and novel.